I’d like to share with you this deliciously luxurious Hot Chocolate recipe. Drinking this always brings back memories of our times in Trieste in North-East Italy with my family. Whilst my uncle, who has a family estate and farm near Naples, prepared a five course feast in their city apartment, we would go for wintry walks with my aunt around the city, temperatures sometimes around -5°C …you eventually acclimatise! To warm up we would pop into a cosy café with a view of elegant architecture across the piazza and order hot chocolate. The whole experience was magnificent and warmed the cockles of our hearts and hands! I hope you enjoy this Hot Chocolate as much as we do. Ah, Italia!
INGREDIENTS Enough for four espresso cups
250ml milk (preferably full cream, but low fat will do just fine. If you prefer, use a dairy alternative)
30 g organic dark chocolate (unsweetened) with around 60-70% cocoa content, broken into small pieces
1.5 to 2 Tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you’d like it (organic raw or white granulated)
METHOD
Place the milk, sugar and chocolate in a small heavy based saucepan with high sides.
Melt the chocolate and sugar over low heat, whisking from time to time to dissolve the chocolate and sugar.
Slowly turn up the heat to medium and bring to the boil whilst whisking with a handheld wire whisk.
Then allow the chocolate milk to bubble and rise up the sides of the saucepan.
Take the saucepan off the heat and give it a good brisk whisk.
Place the saucepan back onto the heat and allow it to bubble up again.
Remove from the heat and whisk again, then place back on the heat.
Repeat this process twice more. It’s worth it!
Take the saucepan off the heat; the chocolate milk should be the consistency of pouring cream (Mmm!).
Give the hot chocolate a thorough whisk until it is nice and frothy.
Pour directly into little espresso cups.
Serve immediately to your cold eagerly awaiting guests. Buona!
